


Runaway

by DaTunaSamich



Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Dehumanization, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Runaway, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:41:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24171472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaTunaSamich/pseuds/DaTunaSamich
Kudos: 2





	Runaway

Locke paced the empty waiting room, his chair long since abandoned. 

“what's taking them so long, it never takes this long to get a new slave out.” He mumbled under his breath.

He should be home by now.

Locke stopped pacing and grabbed his coat, swiftly putting it on, the epaulets on his shoulders clinking on themselves. 

His footsteps echoed off the tile floors as he strode out of the waiting room and towards the service desk.

“I’ve been here for 30 minutes, where is my property?” Locke spoke, the desk clerk stuttering a response as she buzzed him through to the preparation room.

-

Tebal woke to a blinding sun, blinding his eyes as he was guided around the building 

‘It hadn’t been three months, had it?’ he thought.

The doctors had been really thorough on this check-up, taking blood samples and even drug tested him, he’d tried to ask the doctor about it, but all he got back was “This was just a normal check-up.”

Tebal was pulled from his thoughts as the door opened, the doctor that had seen him now stood in the doorway.

“Tebal, congratulations, you have been purchased, and are now going to be transferred to your new master.” The doctor said, scribbling something on his clipboard.

The doctor told Tebal to follow him, walking at a brisk pace as he led him around the complex system of hallways to another room.

He was seated in a chair with his left arm strapped down palm up away, perpendicular from him.

A man that was already in the room then pulled up a rolling stool and sat facing his arm, wiping it down with an alcohol pad.

He started kicking and grabbing at the straps holding his arm when he saw the tattoo gun.

The artist was fighting and trying to hold him down.

A sharp pain in his free arm made him fade out of consciousness.

-

Walking into the preparation room, Locke saw the boy he was buying strapped to the artist's chair, the artist finishing wrapping up the boy’s wrist, a doctor sitting in a chair against the wall.

The doctor rose from his seat, “Ah, Ambassador Locke, I didn’t expect you to come back here, we were almost done.” 

“I was waiting a rather long time, I assumed you would be done by now,”

“We had some trouble with your property, it freaked when the needle was brought out.”

Locke held out his hand, the doctor hastily giving him a file.

“There were no mentions of phobias within his file, was it just the needle that made him freak out?” Locke asked, skimming the contents of the folder.

“No, but we only use needles for emergency sedations, and the buying process, as they could leave marks on the product’s skin that could damage their value; Everything else we give to them orally.”

“I see,” Locke said, tucking the folder under his arm, “When should he reawaken?”

The doctor looked at the clock on the wall, nodding his head with some mental gymnastics,  
“It should be awake in about 5 minutes, the sedative only lasts about a half hour, and our artist here worked fast.”

“Very well, bring him to my car, all the papers have been signed and fees paid, I’m late already so do be quick about it.”

“Yes Ambassador,”

-

Tebal’s head was swimming, he felt vibrations all throughout his body, and his wrist was numb.

He felt his body sway, and his eyes shot open. Blinding light greeted his eyes and he shut them instinctively, slowly opening them, looking down at his lap, and at his surroundings, He was in a car with a strange man, older than him, but not by a great margin.

“Ah ha, I see you are awake,” The man said, not bothering to look over at him, “It is ‘Tebal’ isn’t it?”

Tebal looked at the man in the other seat, the man had fair skin, golden hair, and a dominating presence. 

“Boy,” Locke said, 

“Yes, yes I’m Tebal” He stuttered, his focus now back on his wrist, it felt weird, unlike anything that he’d ever felt before.

“What do I call you, uhm, sir?-” Tebal said, voice wavering

Locke’s voice cut into Tebal’s question intentionally,  
“You will address me as master, boy, nothing less.”

Tebal let out his answer in a whisper “Yes, master.” 

'So I was being bought, I knew it was too soon'

Tebal's attention focused back on his wrist.

“Curious, are you?” Locke asked

Tebal hummed in agreement, holding the padded bandage.

“It’s your number, It proves that you belong to me, if for any reason you become lost or run away, when they find you they can search you up and check where you came from, who you belong to, etcetera etcetera.” Locke said, 

Tebal tensed up, the recent memories of the tattoo gun flashing in his mind,  
He flinched

“You’re fine now boy, it’s all over,” Locke said softly, “I didn’t know about your phobia until I found you sedated in the chair when I walked in, you gave the doctor quite the scare.”

“I don’t like,” Tebal swallowed thickly, trying to calm himself, “Needles”

“I see, I’ll try to limit your exposure to them as much as I can.”

Tebal took the answer with a grain of salt. 

-

The ride was long, they drove from the smog filled city to mountains crowded with picturesque  
trees and winding roads.

Although his stomach didn't growl he felt empty, remembering that he hadn't eaten since last  
night's dinner.

Staring out the window when they pulled into the gates, there was a building that was like nothing he had ever seen, it was surrounded by the same forest of trees and greenery that ascended the mountain with them.

“This is where I live, and now, where you will live,” Locke said

Locke got out of the car motioning for Tebal to follow him.

Tebal fiddled with the door for a second before following Locke inside the building, the door  
clicking shut behind him, and the silence being cut through by Locke’s voice.

He heard another door shut, and Locke’s voice continue on, this time in a stronger tone, a tone more serious than the last.

Tebal was left in the main room, the secluded mansion strikingly beautiful, with whites, greys, and dark wood accents.

He was intrigued by the design as well, the upper floor stopped like a balcony allowing for the main room to have a fireplace and high ceilings.

There was a beautiful arrangement of furniture that surrounded a low coffee table, including a couch that looked incredibly inviting,

-

Locke came out into the living room 40 minutes later, finding his new boy ‘Tebal’ laying on the couch. 

Slowly walking over, Locke noticed that he was curled up into himself, knees tucked in and holding one of the throw pillows close to his chest, so innocent, and still so young, his papers said that he was a little over 16, though his education was subpar by freeman standards.

Locke let him be, deciding that he would start his training tomorrow, after he got him well fed, showered, and dressed. Tebal was skinny, pale, dark brown shaggy hair and sunken eyes from what he would suspect to be a lack of sleep.

Locke walked over to his chair and sat down, pulling out a book, one of his favorites he hadn’t read in a while.

-

Tebal woke to the sound of sizzling, and a smell that made his stomach growl violently, making its emptiness more apparent than it already was. 

He sat up in a haze, a blanket had been draped over him while he slept.

"master?" Tebal called weakly, his voice hoarse, no response.

He cleared his throat and called again, "Master?"

"Ah ha, Good Evening my boy, it's good to hear that you're awake." Locke said

"I, sorry sir, I didn't mean to fall asleep," Tebal walked into the kitchen, holding his blanket, "I  
was just so tired."

"That is fine, I can't blame you, I'm feeling a bit tired myself; but I'm more in need of food than sleep."

Tebal wrapped the blanket more securely around his shoulders, coming to look around Locke's shoulder at what he was cooking.

Locke moved the steaks in the pan around, flipping and checking the insides.

"In time I will teach you how to cook; I assume they didn't let you do anything yourself?"

"No sir, everything came to us premade, precut, everything bite sized, I think they did it so we couldn't choke ourselves, or because sporks make horrible knives." Tebal said, laughing as he  
said the last part, 

Locke richly chuckled with him, the bad joke making the two souls laugh in their exhausted state.

“Go sit yourself down at the bar, I’ll have these out in a moment.” Locke said, turning to the cupboards behind him and fetching some glassware.

Tebal took a seat at the glossy wooden bar, rows of glass bottles of all shapes, filled with just as many colored liquids lined the shelves, glistening in the light of the evening sun shining through the window.

Tebal’s curiosity got the better of him as he saw Locke plating up the steaks, the aroma coming off of them making his stomach growl.

“Master, Sir, what are all these drinks?” Tebal said, motioning to the bottles, “Are they medicines?”

Locke chuckled again, “Not medicine necessarily, boy.”

Tebal’s eyes flicked around, lost in confusion “huh?”

Locke set down the plates on the bar, holding up a finger to Tebal for him to wait.

Locke grabbed a bottle from behind him and drizzled a bit of sauce onto the plates beside each of the steak.

“What’s that?” Tebal asked

“It’s a sauce that goes well with steak, it adds flavor.” Locke explained, closing the bottle.

“You said that you didn’t know how to use forks and knives, correct?”

“correct, master.”

“I see; well right now, I will teach you a little something, and tomorrow you will learn more,” Locke said, “Now, are you right handed or left handed?”

“Um, left, sir.”

Locke taught Tebal how to use the aforementioned utensils, and the look on Tebal’s face when he finished cutting his steak by himself made Locke’s heart warm, seeing the boy feel pride at something he taught him; it was, nice, to teach others.

The time ran on, both of them hungrily eating their steaks, with Tebal occasionally looking to the bottles on the shelves.

‘Hmph, the boy’s curiosity must be tempered with caution, a single glass of most of those will have him staggered’ Locke thought, smirking.

When they were finished Locke took the plates to the sink, and made them both a drink: a simple Manhattan with a maraschino cherry garnish.

Tebal didn’t heed Locke’s warning to slowly drink it and downed half the glass in one gulp, coughing and flinching at the new tastes invading his senses.

It took some time for Tebal to recover from the half glass gulp of liquor, Locke sipping down half of his own drink with amusement by the time the boy finally did recover.

When Tebal reached for his glass again, Locke guided him on how to sip liquor, something that Tebal did with trembling hands.

When their glasses were empty, Tebal was a mess, and Locke was smirking like nothing had hit him.

“Come on boy, I think it’s high time we get you to sleep,” Locke said, Tebal already feeling the effects of his drink a few minutes earlier.

Picking him up, Locke took his new addition to the couch, laying him down, positioning one of the throw pillows under his head, covering him in the blanket the same way he did before.

Training this boy was going to be hell, he could already feel it.


End file.
